Scotland Stun England, France Flay Wales

Scotland hammered England in Edinburgh while France consolidated their position at the top of the Six Nations table after thrashing Wales in Cardiff.

Few critics and experts gave the Scots any chance of winning the Calcutta Cup at Murrayfield this past Saturday.

England went into that clash with a 12-game winning streak, while Scotland were reeling in the wake of a narrow loss to Italy, and coach Gregor Townsend's job was reportedly in jeopardy.

The betting markets reflected the situation, with Scotland listed as 3.75 underdogs. SuperSportBet was convinced that England would steamroll Scotland, and that the big margin bets would be wellworth a punt.

In the end, the 31-20 victory did not truly reflect Scotland's dominance on the day.

Townsend's charges raced to an early 17-0 lead, and continued to pressure England in key areas like the air and breakdown.

The visitors reacted poorly, conceding a slew of penalties, and wing Harry Arundell received two yellow cards.

Earlier in the day, Italy nearly completed another stunning win when they travelled to Dublin to tackle a new-look Ireland side.

The Azzurri controlled the contest for large periods, and defended well throughout. Ultimately a few missed chances cost them dearly, and they had to settle for one log point in a 20-13 loss.

An Italy win would have paid 9.00, but those who took SuperSportBet's tip and bet on the handicap (+17 at 1.95) would have made some money.

The match between Wales and France in Cardiff was always going to be about the winning margin rather than the result – given the contrasting form of both sides.

France produced an attacking masterclass, scoring eight tries in a 54-12 victory. As expected, Wales failed to finish inside the 31-point handicap – and as SuperSportBet predicted, the 41-45 margin paid off handsomely (6.50).

Thanks to the big win in Cardiff, France have strengthened their position at the top of the standings, and are the only team in the tournament that can still win the Grand Slam.

Scotland have leapfrogged England and currently sit in second place, following their bonus-point win in Edinburgh, while Italy remain marginally ahead of Ireland in fourth spot.

Due to the changes to the tournament structure, the Six Nations will continue this coming weekend – and it will be interesting to see how the respective teams cope with the challenge of playing their third match in three weeks.

England will host Ireland in a crucial fixture in London on Saturday afternoon, while Wales and Scotland will meet in Cardiff later in the day. Italy will travel to Lille on Sunday with the hope of upsetting France.

Meanwhile, the Lions will host the HollywoodBets Sharks in Johannesburg on Saturday. The winner of this derby will move into the top eight on the United Rugby Championship table, and strengthen their bid for a playoff place.

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